Manipulation game

ABSTRACT

A game is provided which requires the skill of the player to manipulate a first member such as a simulated hook or grapple into engagement with a second member such as a fish whereby the two are retained together by releasable fastener and to thereafter manipulate the second member by the skill of manipulation of the first member upwardly through adjacent narrow, elongated formations such as spaced parallel bars which, if the second member is not properly aligned with said formations, said formations may cause the two members to become separated and the second member to drop away from the first member. Attraction and retention of the second member to the first member is effected by magnetic means, releasable hooking material or adhesive means.

United States Patent [191 Lemelson [451 Jan. 29, 1974 MANIPULATION GAME [22] Filed: Jan. 26, 1973 [21] ApplhNo'J: 326,679

2,598,487 5/1952 Anechiarico.. 273/140 X 2,477,531 7/1949 Volman 273/l06.5 A X 3,032,345 5/1962 Lemelson 273/l06.5 A X 934,179 9/1909 Jackson 273/140 420,149 1/1890 Elson 273/140 OTHER PUBLICATIONS Playthings Magazine, Aug. 1958, Vol. No. 56, No. 8,

p. 26, Fisherman's Luck.

Primary Examiner-Richard C. Pinkham Assistant Examiner-Paul E. Shapiro ABSTRACT A game is provided which requires the skill of the player to manipulate a first member such as a simulated hook or grapple into engagement with a second member such as a fish whereby the two are retained together by releasable fastener and to thereafter manipulate the second member by the skill of manipulation of the first member upwardly through adjacent narrow, elongated formations such as spaced parallel bars which, if the second member is not properly aligned with said formations, said formations may cause the two members to become separated and the second member to drop away from the first member. Attraction and retention of the second member to the first member is effected by magnetic means, releasable hooking material or adhesive means.

5 Claims, 16 Drawing Figures PATENTEB JAN 2 9 I974 SHEET 2 BF MANIPULATION GAME SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a game of skill which is preferably, although not necessarily, in the form of a fishing game employing a simulated retainer or hook and one or more objects to be held thereby in a hanging attitude at the end of a string or other elongated member and to be manipulated through or past one or more obstacles.

The game employs skill, first in the act of properly aligning a simulated hook or retainer with a particular object or a portion thereof containing a retaining means, properly dropping the retainer to engage it against a selected portion of the object and, once such operation has been successfully completed, thereafter properly manipulating the retainer and object in order to cause the object to be lifted upwardly past an obstacle in such a manner as to prevent it from being separated from the retainer by the obstacle. The game requires patience as well as manipulative skill and is both interesting and exciting.

It is accordingly a primary object of this invention to provide a new and improved manipulative game apparatus.

Another object is to provide a game requiring a plurality of modes of skill which may be developed with time by players of all ages.

Another object is to provide a new and improved manipulation game which is simple in structure and which simulates the act of fishing and attempting to land one or more fishes.

Another object is to provide a manipulation game which is both interesting and attention getting and is relatively simple in structure.

With the above and such other objects in view as may hereinafter more fully appear, the invention consists of the novel constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts which will be hereafter more fully described but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications may be resorted to which fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side view of an object in the form of a simulated fish forming part of the game of the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the object of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top view of a modified form of game device of the type shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side view of a retaining device employing a hooking material and applicable to the instant game;

FIG. 5 is an end view of the device of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a side view of a modified form of retaining device of the type shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is an isometric view of the device of FIG. 6 showing its retention of an object of the type shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is an isometric view of the entire game including at least three types of retaining devices;

FIG. 9 is an isometric view of a further retaining device for objects of the type utilized in FIG. 8 and applicable beneath the playing board thereof;

FIG. 10 is an isometric view of an obstacle arrangement for the game apparatus;

FIG. 11 is an isometric view of another form of the playing apparatus of the instant invention;

FIG. 12 is a side view with parts broken away for clarity of the device of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a side view of a modified form of playing piece applicable to the device of FIGS. 11 and 12;

FIG. 14 is a side view of yet another form of playing piece;

FIG. 15 is a side view of still another form of playing piece;

and FIG. 16 is a top view of a modified form of the top of the device of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show a playing piece 10 in the form of a mock, simulated fish 11 having flat side walls 11a and 1 1b, both of which preferably contain markings including decorations 13 and a number 12 indicative of a score. Disposed on respective of the side walls 11a and 1 1b are respective portions and 14b of hooking material such as the broken loop or book portions of so called Velcro fastening material such as manufactured by the Velcro Corporation of America of New York City.

The portions or patches 14a and 14b are shown covering substantially the area of the mock fish ll representative of the mouth thereof.

In FIGS. 4 and 5 is shown a first type of retaining device 16 in the form of a weighted, oblong body having a hole 16' at the upper end thereof for retaining a flexible thread or string 17 and a flat bottom surface 17" against which is secured a disk-shaped fastening member 15 comprising one of the Velcro components either broken hook or loop material, which will attach to the components 14a and 14b of the playing piece 10 of FIGS. 1 and 2. By disposing the member 16 immediately above that portion of the playing piece 10 containing material 14 and suddenly dropping member 16 to cause the material component 15 to engage the material component 14 of the playing piece, the playing piece may be picked up and lifted by lifting on the string 17.

In FIG. 6 is shown a modified form of retaining member 21 having an elongated shank 22 containing an open loop 22' at the lower end thereof and an eye portion 23 at the upper end through which a flexible thread or string may be tied for positioning and manipulating the retaining member 21. Secured to the lower portion of the open loop 22' is a disk-shaped member or portion 24 having a flat bottom surface containing Velcro fastening material similar to that used in the device of FIGS. 4 and 5. A portion of a playing piece similar to that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is illustrated as attached to the retaining member 21 by the hooking engagement of its fastening material 14 to the mating fastening material 15 secured to the bottom of the retaining member 21. FIG. 7 illustrates the playing piece 10 held by means of the described portions of Velcro fastening material to the bottom of the hook-shaped retaining member 21.

It is noted that the end 22" of the hook or open loop shaped portion 22' of the retaining member 21 may also be manipulated to actually hook a suitably shaped portion of the playing piece to retain it thereon, providing an auxilliary means for hooking and picking up a playing piece.

In FIG. 8 is shown a game employing the described components which game includes a table having a flat, rectangularly shaped upper wall 26 which is retained a short distance, perhaps several inches or more, above a surface by means of four legs 26' attached to the corners thereof. An opening 26H is provided in the center of the upper wall 26, which opening is illustrated as being eliptically oblong in shape permitting a playing piece, such as an oblong fish-shaped object 11" to be passed therethrough provided that it is aligned in the oblong direction. In other words, if the playing piece is disposed, as illustrated, and held at the end of the retainer 16 by the fastening means described on the end of string 17 across the opening 26H, it may not be lifted upwardly through the opening and if a light force is applied to the string 17 in an attempt to pull the playing piece upwardly, it will be detached from the retainer 16. The force required to effect such detachment will be a function of a number of hooks and loops of the fastening material which are interengaged with each other. If the fastening material components 14 and 15 are relatively small, since the string 17 is flexible, it will require a certain degree of skill to properly align the playing piece with the opening 26H to permit it to be pulled upwardly therethrough without causing disengagement of the fastening components and detachment of the playing piece from the retaining means.

In a typical game, it is noted that a plurality of openings may be provided in a playing surface such as that illustrated in FIG. 8 and they may have different configurations to accommodate different shapes and sizes of the playing piece. For example, an opening may be configured substantially to the contour of a playing piece but slightly larger so that skill will be required to properly align the playing piece with the opening to remove it from beneath the surface of the board 26. The board 26 may also be either opaque or transparent or made of a transparent sheet of plastic which is decorated with one or more colors of opaque or translucent materials in a design which extends across portions of one surface of the playing board so as to increase the degree of skill required to manipulate and hook a fish-shaped playing piece. Two or more openings may also be interconnected with arrow cutouts in the surface of the playing board so that an object which is hooked through an opening through which it is too large to be pulled, may be manipulated by movement of the string along the interconnecting cutout to a larger opening.

In FIG. 9 is shown a component retaining means 27 for one or more playing pieces 10 which retaining means may be utilized under the playing board 26 of FIG. 8 or provided per se as a game board. The playing piece 10 is preferably of the type shown in FIG. 3 having different sized patches of Velcro fastening material secured to opposite faces thereof. Strips 28 of Velcro fastening material are shown secured to the upper surface of the playing board 27. That side of the playing piece containing the smaller section or patch 14 of Velcro material is then pushed against one of the strips 28 and the resulting fastening action requires a certain force to remove the playing piece therefrom. The larger area portion 14' of fastening material thus faces upwardly and, when engaged by a fastening component 15 of a retaining device such as that shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, which component has a greater area than the materialof playing piece 10 engaging the strip 28, the playing piece may be removed by application of a suitable lifting force on the string 17. In other words, since the force required to separate the fastening materials holding the playing piece 10 against the board 27 is less than that required to separate the retaining device and the fastening material 14 disposed on the upper surface of the playing piece 10, the playing piece will separate from the strip 28 when suitable force is applied.

In FIG. 10, a playing piece 10 is shown disposed between a pair of bars 29 and 30 which are secured on re spective legs 29 and 30 above a playing surface. The playing piece is initially disposed diagonally across the bars 29 and 30 requiring that the retaining member 16 be lowered between the bars to engage the fastening material thereof with the fastening material 14 secured to the upper surface of the playing piece, after which the string 17 may be twisted to cause the playing piece to become aligned in the direction of the bars permitting the playing piece to be lifted upwardly therebetween.

It is noted that other fastening means than hook and loop fastening materials of the type described, may be utilized in game arrangements of the types shown in FIGS. 8-10. For example, the retaining means and/or playing pieces may comprise or have attached thereto a magnet or paramagnetic material provided that one of the playing and retaining pieces are or contain permanent magnets. Pressure sensitive adhesive material may also be applied to either or both the retaining member and playing piece.

In FIG. 8, a playing piece 10 is shown having a body 11 containing a U-shaped loop 25 secured to the forward end thereof in which loop a hook-shaped retainer of the type shown in FIG. 6 may be engaged for holding and lifting the playing piece.

I claim:

1. A game arrangement comprising:

a playing piece, I

a retaining means for releasably holding said playing piece,

said retaining means including an elongated, flexible string-like member adapted to be held at one end, and

an object secured to the other end of said string-like member,

an obstacle forming means disposed above a surface on which said playing piece may be located,

said obstacle forming means comprising a plurality of elongated, narrow bar-like formations supported above said surface on which said playing piece is located and space separated from each other a degree such that said playing piece may be lifted upwardly therebetween,

said object being dimensioned such that it may be lowered on the end of said flexible string-like member between said narrow bar-like formations and may be caused to engage the playing piece disposed therebelow and made to removably engage and retain the playing piece whereby the lifting of said flexible member thereafter will cause the playing piece to be lifted upwardly between said barlike formations and to clear said bar-like formations when said playing piece is properly aligned between said bar-like formations and is pulled upwardly therethrough and whereby failure to properly align said playing piece between said bar-like formations permitting it to clear said formations will result in the release of said playing piece from said object if the object is pulled upwardly on the end of said strin-like member and said playing piece is engaged by one or more of said bar-like formations and is prevented thereby from being lifted upwardly past said bar-like formations.

2. A game arrangement in accordance with claim 1 wherein said narrow bar-like formations extend substantially parallel to each other above said surface on which said playing piece is located prior to being engaged by said object on the end of said flexible stringlike member.

3. A game arrangement in accordance with claim 2 including means for securing said narrow bar-like formations fixed above said surface on which said playing piece is located.

4. A game arrangement in accordance with claim 3 wherein said playing piece is elongated in shape and has a length which is greater than the distance between said narrow bar-like formations and a width which is less than said distance between said bar-like formations and whereby the removable engagement of said object and said playing piece is such as to permit said playing piece to be disposed in a substantially horizontal attitude beneath said object at the end of said flexible string-like member such that a portion of said playing piece may be caused to underhang at least one of said bar-like formations as said playing piece is lifted upwardly upon pulling said string-like member upwardly or the entire playing piece may be made to clear both said bar-like formations by properly manipulating said string-like member.

5. A game arrangement in accordance with claim 4 wherein said playing piece is in the shape of an elongated mock fish, and means for removably engaging said object near the center of said mock fish playing piece such that the end portions of said mock fish may be respectively engaged beneath each of said bar-like formations when said mock fish is disposed laterally beneath said bar-like formations. 

1. A game arrangement comprising: a playing piece, a retaining means for releasably holding said playing piece, said retaining means including an elongated, flexible stringlike member adapted to be held at one end, and an object secured to the other end of said string-like member, an obstacle forming means disposed above a surface on which said playing piece may be located, said obstacle forming means comprising a plurality of elongated, narrow bar-like formations supported above said surface on which said playing piece is located and space separated from each other a degree such that said playing piece may be lifted upwardly therebetween, said object being dimensioned such that it may be lowered on the end of said flexible string-like member between said narrow bar-like formations and may be caused to engage the playing piece disposed therebelow and made to removably engage and retain the playing piece whereby the lifting of said flexible member thereafter will cause the playing piece to be lifted upwardly between said bar-like formations and to clear said bar-like formations when said playing piece is properly aligned between said bar-like formations and is pulled upwardly therethrough and whereby failure to properly align said playing piece between said bar-like formations permitting it to clear said formations will result in the release of said playing piece from said object if the object is pulled upwardly on the end of said strin-like member and said playing piece is engaged by one or more of said bar-like formations and is prevented thereby from being lifted upwardly past said bar-like formations.
 2. A game arrangement in accordance with claim 1 wherein said narrow bar-like formations extend substantially parallel to each other above said surface on which said playing piece is located prior to being engaged by said object on the end of said flexible string-like member.
 3. A game arrangement in accordance with claim 2 including means for securing said narrow bar-like formations fixed above said surface on which said playing piece is located.
 4. A game arrangement in accordance with claim 3 wherein said playing piece is elongated in shape and has a length which is greater than the distance between said narrow bar-like formations and a width which is less than said distance between said bar-like formations and whereby the removable engagement of said object and said playing piece is such as to permit said playing piece to be disposed in a substantially horizontal attitude beneath said object at the end of said flexible string-like member such that a portion of said playing piece may be caused to underhang at least one of said bar-like formations as said playing piece is lifted upwardly upon pulling said string-like member upwardly or the entire playing piece may be made to clear both said bar-like formations by properly manipulating said string-like member.
 5. A game arrangement in accordance with claim 4 wherein said playing piece is in the shape of an elongated mock fish, and means for removably engaging said object near the center of said mock fish playing piece such that the end portions of said mock fish may be respectively engaged beneath each of said bar-like formations when said mock fish is disposed laterally beneath said bar-like formations. 